Breaks, Sharks, and Books
And now we are not.
Today, I am over at Chrys Fey's (or so my dusty calendar says!) discussing scene settings.
The scene I chose- from Defying Reason- is set at the the beach.
I write about the beach a lot. My grandma always said- if you can't live it- dream it. She was talking about sex, but I'll apply her logic however best suits my purpose at any given moment. And at this moment, I'm talking beach.
The beaches in books. And then smoothly segueing into beaches in real life.
At the beach, there is sand, and sun, and sharks attacking people.
Logically, I realize I have a statistically better chance of being mauled by a stray dog in my neighborhood while out for a walk than I do of getting bitten by a shark, but still...
sharks have big teeth. And I have been counseled by a wise lady to stay out of the water. (See, I'm listening Jo!)
But here's the problem...I love swimming in the ocean. And I'll be at the beach for two weeks. That's 14 days and far too many hours sitting on the shore. What will distract me from the water?I don't like to shop. And sight seeing is for evenings.
Oh, le sigh. What to do?
Stupid sharks*.
Although...did you know jelly fish and sting rays attack more people? Still. We fear the shark.
I blame the teeth.
It's Friday, so let's celebrate the small things!Thanks to our hosts in this weekly check in: Lexa, L.G, and Katie!
1. Swept Away is done. It's back with the editor and the betas to see if they approve.
2. Past Due is part of an anthology, Tempting Treasures! 6 awesome stories- there is something for everyone's taste. From sexy hot to page turning plots, this book is a must pick up at the limited time price of 2.99! Get your copy HERE!
3. I've been decluttering rooms. Like a wise man (Mr. Cavanaugh) pointed out- decluttering the world around you makes the brain feel less cluttered too.
4. It's summer! Now, to unwind and enjoy...says the lady who has been on a long break!
*Don't give me thunder. I know sharks aren't stupid. I know they're necessary creatures in the whole circle of ocean life.
photo credit: Frosty Reception via photopin (license)
Listen to Jo. And if you absolutely have to go in the water, make sure there are a bunch of other people out there first. (So they'll get munched before you do. Hey, this is survival!)
ReplyDeleteI always swim in large groups. And I have a whole check list of when and where not to swim:
Deletenever by piers or fisherman; never out deep; never where the gulls or birds are circling; never at night or morning; and never after a someone yells. "Shark"!
WHAT! The media got tired of picking on the cute Pit Bulls so now they're going after the sharks. Gees. It never ends. Someone is always the bad guys. Too bad they can't report about all the good swims there were NO attacks.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is that time of year. I have swam in the ocean a long time and never had an incident. Once we even saw fins. Turns out it was a sting ray, but still we exited the water.
DeleteIt's like the old saying if you are with someone and you meet a bear, you don't have to run faster than the bear just to run faster than your friend!! So maybe learn to swim fast Liz. It does depend on the shark though, Matt has often scuba dived with sharks, many people have been under water with them, but the great whites are predators I would NOT risk encountering.
ReplyDeleteI think great whites prefer cold water, but don't quote me on that. If the shark is coming for the slowest swimmer, Mr. Seckman is toast. He can run faster than me, but he can't swim half as well as I can!
DeleteI love going to the beach, but I prefer going during the winter. It's still warm where I am, but not crazy hot and sunny as it is now. I'm also decluttering--feels good and makes the home look much better. I look forward to Swept Away.
ReplyDeleteI loved going to the beach in the fall. All the tourists were gone and the places are much quieter. School ruined that. I need to live near the beach like you do.
DeleteNo sharks around here, so we are good. Stupid jellyfish though. Decluttering works for our ocd
ReplyDeleteYeah, stupid jelly fish. I know a lot of people who have been attacked by them. I had a cousin who had a shark bite her thumb once- she caught it in a tidal pool and was carrying it to her dad to show it off. I'd say that was a provoked attack.
DeleteI stay out of the sea myself. In the UK it's usually cold anyway, even when it's hot on dry land. Decluttering sounds good though. I did it recently and it's nice to walk into a room and feel serene :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not much for cold water. I'm a big baby.
DeleteMy decluttering has been put on hold, but what I have done feels so good!
Enjoy your summer of unwinding. A space less cluttered makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of a good thing that my biggest problem in life is having too much stuff.
DeleteEnjoy the beach and maybe bring some marshmallows...oh, wait..those are for alligators, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. Now I'm curious and want to know what's up with the marshmallows!
DeleteHave fun this summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks! You too. :)
DeleteRelax, recoup, and have a blast!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an awesome plan!
DeleteI love "Friends!" You grandma was talking about SEX?! She must be a lot different from my grandmothers. Yay for finishig your novel! I try to de-clutter rooms. Then my husband clutters them back up again. Men! :P
ReplyDeleteMy grandma was rotten. At the age of 70 something she decided she'd quit telling dirty jokes, but quickly got bored and decided God had a sense of humor.
DeleteI know, those sharks ruin everything!! So jealous that you're about to spend 2 weeks at the beach—so fun! Enjoy your vacation! Oh, and I got your email with the revised edition—been meaning to email you back! I'll take a quick gander. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait, Kristin!! And it's coming after such a crazy, busy summer. I am so ready to go this year!!
DeleteOoh, hope you like!! I tried to blend all the beta suggestions. You guys are awesome.
Here in landlocked Colorado, I feel pretty safe against shark attacks. Well, unless we get hit by one of those sharknados I keep hearing about.
ReplyDeleteYou guys may have to worry about the Abominable Snowman. I wouldn't worry about the Sharknado so much...I think it's a hoax. ;)
DeleteI grew up near a beach and never had to worry about sharks. Jelly fish, totally different story. Those burn!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I keep saying. It's the jelly fish that are the problem. I swear, sharks will swim away from swimmers (usually), but those jellyfish. They are the stalkers of the sea.
DeleteDefying Reason is a great read. Loved that book!
ReplyDeleteYay for decluttering. I'm doing some of that myself. :)
And I love Melissa. <3
DeleteI am at a declutter stand still. Start and stop- story of my life!
Clutter makes me crazy, so decluttering is something I regularly do since Husband is a bit of a pack rat. Enjoy the beach!
ReplyDeleteMy husband is a pack rat too. Every now and then, we will need something that he has hoarded and he'll use it as the excuse to keep everything.
DeleteI have a fear of sharks... I'm terrified of the ocean! And swimming pools too :/ I blame the movies ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm just a nutcase!! xx
I'm terrified of heights. My husband tricked me into climbing a mountain and I about had a panic attack. We 're both nutcases!
DeleteHey Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteYou can stop twiddling your thumbs. Yes and gosh, I have arrived with one of my eagerly anticipated comments.
I'm used to sharks, the ex and her gang of friends. I thought y'all called "jellyfish" "Jell-O fish" :)
Please, have some beach-type fun. I'm into decluttering as in chucking out all my scribbled notes that make no sense at the best of times.
Gary :)
It is visits from you that keep me in the blogosphere.
DeleteI would have no fear of a Jello-fish. I'm sure it would be all tangy sweetness.
I love it when I come across scribbled notes that make no sense. I'm sure it was once a profound thought.
I'm jealous of your two weeks at the beach! Sounds like heaven. I hope the sharks are all busy elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to meet someone else who doesn't like to shop! I thought I was alone LOL. For me there's no better way to ruin a vacation.
We've decided this is one area where quantity is better than quality. We rented a small, no frills place so we can swing the two weeks.
DeleteI also don't find decorating enjoyable. I'm a failure as a woman! LOL
Okay, hold up a second...
ReplyDelete"My grandma always said- if you can't live it- dream it. She was talking about sex..."
Did I read that correctly? Because I'd love to hear that story in a future blog!
My grandma was an ornery lady! She was acyaully talking about bragging. The people who brag the most usually have the least amount of stuff going on. Perhaps that would make a good blog post ;)
Deletelat time we were at the beach we had a manta ray (a quite large one) come almost up to the beach. Hubby was frantically trying to get our five year old out of the way but he kept swimming right at us. He came within a two feet then finally turned around.
ReplyDeleteThose things creep me out. I get out when I see them too. I know sharks like to eat them!
DeleteI've only seen the ocean twice, but it was certainly beautiful! I didn't think about sharks at the time, thank goodness. Lol.
ReplyDeleteThe first couple of days at the beach, I think about the sharks, but pretty soon I could care less. I've swam in the ocean since I was carried by my dad into the water. It's like any other thing, its power has to be respected.
DeleteJaaaws. Stay away from me Jaaaws. Have you seen Bill Murray singing the Jaws song? It's great. I'm looking forward to Sharknado 3, but I wouldn't want to swim with sharks either.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was a little guy, if you asked him what sound a shark makes, he'd say "doo doot, doo doot". His parents were twisted!
DeleteSharks do indeed have big teeth. Having seen the film Jaws multiple times, I'd be concerned too.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not to be concerned, but it's so much fun- you quickly decide it's worth the risk.
Deleteoh dear...I hear you. I won't go into the ocean water past my ankles b/c I'm terrified of a shark attack! love the Ross meme hahaha
ReplyDeleteBut swimming in it is so much fun! Stupid sharks. They need to sign a treaty and agree to stay in deep waters.
DeleteMy husband and I want to do the cage thing, where sharks win around us. I know, crazy. Whether we'll ever actually do it is another matter entirely. :)
ReplyDeleteshahwharton.com
I think that would be cool to do. I say go for it! We once had a bear approach our car at Yellowstone. Park rangers were lining the road to keep cars from stopping. Bears are actually scarier to me than sharks- bears don't seem to fear us and are curious about why we are on their turf.
DeletePassing through on the Celebrate blog hop so lovely to meet you. Don't have too many sharks round the British Isles thank goodness although my dad when he was a youth found himself swimming beside a basking shark which although an amazing experience did give him rather shock as you can imagine! Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace
ReplyDeleteI need to start vacationing on the British Isles. No sharks? That sounds pretty awesome!
DeleteNice to meet you too!
woah...your new format threw me.
ReplyDelete